Drama takes the floor on Dancing with the Stars as Carrie Ann Inaba faces backlash for unfair judging of female contestants

Dancing With The Stars season 34's latest episode, released on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, themed Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Night, saw a shocking elimination of actress Danielle Fishel and pro dancer Pasha Pashkov.

The elimination of the pair who performed a contemporary routine to Dream On by Aerosmith and received a score of 34 out of 40, and came seventh and last, eventually getting eliminated from the ABC show.

However, the elimination and especially judge Carrie Ann Inaba's comments did not go down well with people who accused Carrie of being unfair to women participants.

Comedian Andy Richter, who had the lowest score and has been an underdog the whole season, was not eliminated due to public voting, but Danielle had to leave.

An insider claims Carrie Ann Inaba shows Bias on Dancing with the Stars 

An insider who spoke with The Post ​​​​​​said that judging on Dancing With the Stars this season has felt noticeably skewed, with Carrie Ann Inaba allegedly being tougher on female contestants than male participants.

The source pointed out that while contestants like Danielle Fishel are getting sharp criticism, others, such as comedian Andy Richter, seem to be praised for far less demanding performances.

"If the judges were actually being consistent, Andy would be held to the same standard,” the insider said.

The source went on to suggest that the main reason for this is the changes in casting patterns on the long-running ABC series.

Producers now want contestants with strong social-media followings, which means many arrive already with an audience, and judges don't want to get on the bad side of the audience by criticising their favourites.

"I would have to imagine they feel some sort of pressure not only to satisfy the audience, but they’re judging — that’s what their job is. They have to judge it and they have to be honest about it. They can’t really protect other people’s feelings,” the source said.

“At the end of the day, it’s a TV show.”

Danielle Fishel’s Pod Meets World co-hosts Rider Strong and Will Friedle, who also appeared with her on Boy Meets World, recently expressed frustration over what they thought was unfair judging.

On a recent podcast episode, Strong remarked that Inaba’s treatment of Fishel "is starting to feel like a personal vendetta," wondering whether the judges "are open to the idea that Danielle might actually be working her ass off."

Friedle was even more direct, accusing Inaba of playing favorites as he says:

Carrie Ann always has a few contestants she loves, they could trip and fall on stage, and she’d still hand them a nine,” he said. “Then Danielle pulls off a flawless, high-energy routine, and Carrie Ann nitpicks something like her shoulder position. It’s ridiculous.

Last week, Inaba told the Boy Meets World alum she needed to use the entire dance space because she was a tiny little woman. The comment stuck with Danielle, who later reflected,

I am a tiny little woman, but she’s big on the inside more powerful and I need to let her out more often.

After their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame performance on Dancing with the Stars, Inaba rethought about her words on air, offering an apology as she noted:

"I’d like to apologize if what I said hurt you,” she told Fishel. “You may be small, but you pack a punch, and that’s why I can say it, because I believe in you.” 

Earlier in the season, even Fishel’s dance partner, Pasha Pashkov, called out one of Inaba’s critiques as unfair, while former pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy, who left the show in a prior season, described her judging style as lacking constructive feedback.

In the midst of the backlash, Carrie Ann Inaba addressed the criticism directly during an episode of the official Dancing with the Stars podcast.

As the only female judge on the panel, she said she often feels that her opinions are minimized by viewers simply because of her gender. She said:

I feel that my role on this show is important, and it’s often minimized, and it’s because I’m a woman. I can say the same thing as men, and I will be hammered for it.

I can give a higher score than men, and I will be hammered for it. And this is nothing against my fellow judges at all. This is the state of the world. So, this is why I take it so seriously because as a woman, who’s the minority, and also the minority in the room, it’s important for me to speak up and have courage.

Inaba further emphasized that she wants to teach young women to have a voice, even if it is unpopular, and this is what makes their panel strong, as they can disagree and still be respectful to each other, which makes her proud.

Stay tuned for more updates.